Dumfries and Galloway Council has stated that it endeavours to award local contracts to local businesses, where possible. Members of Finance, Procurement and Transformation (FPT) Committee (14 Nov) will hear that our Council has managed to increase the overall proportion of spend that is procured locally, achieving 35.66% of procurement spend with local businesses, equating to more than £20M going directly into the local economy during the 1st quarter of the financial year.
A spokes person for the Council stated “In our recent experience, attracting interest and competition is a challenge for some of our tenders, however ongoing engagement with the local supply base and early notification of opportunities is being undertaken to mitigate the impact of this.
So that we can target local businesses, make them aware, and help them to participate in the procurement process, a programme of supplier engagement events alongside training, tools and support has been developed for this financial year. This included our Meet the Buyer event which was hosted at Langholm in October jointly by Dumfries and Galloway Council alongside Scottish Borders Council, South of Scotland Enterprise, and Supplier Development Programme. The event saw 167 attendees on the day with initial feedback being very positive.
It is not only about spend in the local economy however, where possible our contracts are written to provide added value; 82% of regulated contracts awarded during the Reporting Period included the requirement for Fair Work conditions, which aims to ensure workforces and their skill base are growing and local people are provided with good employment opportunities through the Council’s procured contracts. This includes the provision of work experience placements and apprenticeships through community benefits in contracts.
Help, advice and opportunities for tendering can be found on our Council website at Council contracts and tender opportunities – Dumfries and Galloway Council (dumgal.gov.uk)
Communities can also benefit from our procurement processes by applying online to the Community Benefits Wishlist. This is a scheme which allows local community groups to submit requests for support and links them with council suppliers who will offer to meet these needs through their community benefits proposals. Community Benefits Wishlist – Dumfries and Galloway Council (dumgal.gov.uk)
Chair of the FPT Committee, Councillor Ivor Hyslop said: “As far as possible we will try to ensure our tendering and procurement has a positive impact on local businesses, this is a key part of our Council priorities. By sourcing local contractors this has the knock-on effect of boosting our local economy, which benefits our wider communities as a whole. I would encourage local businesses to view the opportunities on our website and get in touch with our friendly procurement team to see if they can be of any help. We look forward to working with you.”
Vice Chair, Councillor Richard Marsh went on to say: “I am pleased to hear that our ‘Meet the Buyer’ events have received such positive feedback. But local businesses who are interested don’t need to wait for one of these events to have a conversation. Please get in touch and we can advise and help you through the process, and let you know what we are planning and what’s in the pipeline. We’re here to work together and looking to build partnerships for the future.”
To read the full report go to: Council meetings, agendas and minutes – Dumfries and Galloway Council (dumgal.gov.uk)
